Aang and Katara's Tropical Adventure
by ayziks
Summary: Aang and Katara, tired after helping world leaders work out the United Republic of Nations treaty. At the insistence of Kuei and Zuko, they take a much needed vacation at Kuei's summer palace, but a hurricane blows them off course to a deserted island. Or is it deserted? Six chapter arc. ATLA characters property of Nickelodeon.
1. Chapter 1 - A Much Needed Vacation

**Title: **"Aang and Katara's Tropical Adventure"  
**Rating:** T – Kataang romance  
**Writer:** A6  
**Summary:** Aang and Katara worked very hard together rebuilding their post-war world with their friends, but take time off for a vacation. A hurricane that blows them off their intended course, and strands them on a deserted island. Or is it deserted? Five chapter arc. ATLA characters property of Nickelodeon.

...

Katara paced anxiously outside the meeting room where Zuko, Aang, Kuei, Arnook, Hakoda, and the leaders of the Fire Nation Earth Kingdom colonies had been locked in discussions for days. Mai and Lady Hanqiao, Kuei's fiancé, had already given up in disgust. The world leaders were three hours overdue from concluding their negotiations. Suki and Ty Lee didn't budge from their positions guarding entry to the chamber, but were in no mood for chatting with Katara. The Kyoshi Warriors had their orders.

Finally the oaken doors were opened. Kuei and Zuko were the first out, took a quick look around, and seeing their significant others gone, took off on a near dead run for their quarters, knowing what kind of trouble they were in. They didn't even acknowledge Katara.

Arnook and Hakoda stood aside and let Aang rush to Katara, and give her a big hug,

"It's done!" he exclaimed, and lifted and twirled her around.

He was clearly excited but Katara could see the extreme exhaustion in his eyes.

"So tell me!" as she laced her arm into his as they walked back to their guest quarters.

"It's amazing - better than we imagined!" he said excitedly as they strolled. She put her head on his shoulder.

Sitting with Katara in his lap in their private quarters, Aang couldn't stop talking, "Katara, they agreed to all our ideas about a society of benders and non-benders living together in harmony. Just as we imagined."

"I am so excited for you Aang. And so proud." She gave him a big kiss.

Aang smiled at that, but then got a more serious look, "There is one thing more, Katara."

She returned the serious look, a bit nervous at his tone.

"They want me to be the spiritual guide for the whole process."

Katara blinked at the realization of the weight of Aang's statement.

"Aang, the construction of an entirely new city and government is a _huge_job. You won't have a spare moment." she fretted.

"Yes Katara, it will be a huge job. But I will only be the spiritual guide, not the construction boss. That will give me time to attend to my other Avatar duties around the world. And to you." he said with a nervous smile.

Katara gave Aang a very worried look.

He smiled, and put his arms around her more firmly, "Besides, Katara, they are going to build something special _just _for us. It'll have a house with enough room for a family, meeting rooms, a study, a training area, meditation gardens, and a new small Temple! It's on the island we saw right in the middle of the bay - overlooking the city as it's built. I will only be working just a few steps away from you every day!"

Katara lamented, "Aang, I always imagined us mostly alone, restoring one of the_ old Temples _and raising the family we way we want."

Aang answered, "But this is so much more exciting. We're going to create a whole new society with the best people of every nation coming to live and work."

"But I have to share you with the world even _more_," said a tearful Katara.

"Well, you knew you had to do that _anyway_," replied Aang who ran his fingers through her hair softly.

She frowned, knowing that fact all too well, and also knowing it was wrong of her to be so possessive of Aang her husband, but also Aang the Avatar. It still hurt.

Leaning into Aang's strokes of her hair, she perked up a bit, and wanted to support her husband, "Oh Aang, this will be hard, but it really _will _be so exciting!"

They started to kiss deeply, letting themselves start to get lost in each other like they did so often, and she intentionally wiggled harder into his lap to get the reaction she wanted, but a knock came at their chamber door.

Annoyed, Aang turned toward the door and said, "Who is it?"

A familiar voice said, "We just need a few moments, Aang."

Aang and Katara looked at each other and collectively sighed. They both got up, and slid the door open to see Kuei and Zuko.

"Come in guys," Aang offered.

Katara frowned, and thought, _"It's starting already."_

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but Kuei and I were thinking," said Zuko nervously, knowing he had interrupted their affections.

"It's always dangerous when the two most powerful leaders in the world think together," Katara joked.

Kuei smiled, "Well, my friends, you are going to like this idea. We know that this project is going to take a lot of Aang's time, Katara, which will often not be fair to you."

_"Darn right," _she thought, but just nodded to the Earth King.

"So we decided that you should have a few weeks off before it starts. We'd like to give you a 'second honeymoon' to relax and have fun."

Aang scoffed, "Where could you guys send us that I haven't already been?"

Kuei said seriously, "My Summer Palace on the eastern shore."

Aang and Katara were stunned. The opulence of the Earth King's Summer Palace made Zuko's summer palace on Ember Island look like a cheap apartment.

"Whoa. Kuei, that is very kind. _Too _kind, my friend."

"I insist. You two deserve it," assured Kuei as Zuko stood beside him with a satisfied look.

Katara threw her arms around Kuei and gave him a big kiss on his cheek. He blushed deeply.

She kidded, "Don't tell Hanqiao I did that!"

Zuko and Kuei bid Katara and Aang goodnight, and returned to their own loved ones' bedrooms.

Katara got that devilish gleam in her eyes that Aang so loved as she said, "Well now, where _were _we?"

Aang and Katara never felt closer as they loved each other that night, dreaming of their fun and relaxing time together ahead.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Maelstrom

Chapter 2 - The Maelstrom

...

They secured their luggage on Appa, lifted skyward from Kuei's Ba Sing Se palace, and waved to the Sovereign and his fiancé as they headed southeast. Zuko had already departed back to the Fire Nation with Lady Mai on their Royal Airship.

As they headed for Kuei's Summer Palace, they could see an ominous storm gathering off the coast.

Katara worried as she sensed the enormity of the storm, "Aang, I sure hope we get there before that storm hits."

It was still a long way to go when the cloud cover overtook them, and Appa began to be buffeted a bit by the winds. It got progressively worse.

Katara was apprehensive, "Aang, maybe we should stop somewhere and ride the storm out."

Aang said a little too smugly, "Nothing I can't handle, Katara. A little wind never bothered an air bender. Besides I _am_the Avatar. I've stopped volcanoes. What's a little storm?"

Aang stood up in Appa's saddle and manipulated the winds deftly, calming all the gusts around them and guided them safely onward to their destination, still many miles distant. There was no getting out of the storm. It overtook them faster they thought and faster than Appa could fly. What none of them knew was it was no ordinary storm, but a fierce hurricane.

Aang was working up a sweat as the winds continued to build. The rain wall hit them with all of its intensity. The lightning was blinding and the thunder was deafening. Suddenly, even though they were soaked, Katara's hair stood on edge, filled with static electricity.

Aang yelled at Katara, "Get down!"

The huge bolt flashed from above. Aang reached to absorb the bolt, and redirected it back into the malevolent clouds. It was so violent he glowed with energy, passing the bolt back into the hurricane to keep it from killing them. It worked, but he stood momentarily stunned, and then fell unconscious.

Katara screamed, "Aang!"

Aang had a scorched smell about him that gave Katara a chill, and immediately flashed her back to one terrible day years ago in the Earth Kingdom catacombs.

Checking her husband quickly, she was relieved that he was alive, just knocked out. Aang had redirected a natural lightning bolt a hundred times more powerful than Ozai or Azula could have hurled at him.

With Aang unconscious and unable to control the gale, Appa was tossed violently in the wind, despite his own air bending ability. Keeping Aang close by her side, Katara tried helplessly to manipulate the sheets of torrential rain away but the wind was relentless and buffeted them all over the sky. There was only one way to save them as a water bender, and she yelled over the howling winds, "Fly lower, Appa!"

Though she was very worried what would happen when they reached the ocean and its giant waves below, Katara felt like she would be able to somehow control the waves and make it safe for them to weather this unbelievable storm.

But she never got a chance to do so, as a huge gust of wind knocked her against the hard saddle rim, and she blacked out.

Helplessly they fell out of the sky to the violent waves below, totally out of control.


	3. Chapter 3 - Alone in Paradise

Aang could feel pin pricks on his face and body. He had a mouth full of bitter tasting sand that he struggled to spit out. He ached all over. It was bright around him and was blinded. He was able to raise his head painfully. What he saw was amazing. He was surrounded by hundreds of odd creatures – a combination of a sandpiper bird and a sand crab. Each had the head, bill, legs, and neck of the sandpiper, but their bodies were composed of the carapace of a crab, with big pincers. He was getting nipped by dozens of pincers.

He sat up with a start and yelled, "I'm not dead yet! _Scat!_"

The nervous sandpiper-crabs scattered in all directions. As they cleared, he saw Katara's still body, and more worrisome, Appa's quiet form laying on his side further away.

"Oh dear spirits, no!"

He ran to them and checked the vital signs of the dearest things in his life, grateful that they too, were only unconscious. They also were being nipped by the crabs, and he shooed them all away with a less than gentle air bending gust.

"Go away!" he yelled at the scurrying creatures.

"Uh, A-a-aang?" said Katara weakly, followed by a low groan from Appa.

He rushed back to Katara's side, cradled her neck and shoulders, and peered into her cobalt eyes, "I'm here."

"Oh Aang, you redirected the lightning bolt, and I was so worried that you were dead. I tried to water bend away the effects of the storm, but I couldn't."

"It's OK. We are all right, it seems. That bolt had quite a punch. Even Ozai would have been impressed."

She managed to sit up and looked around, "But where are we, Aang?"

He sat stumped and said, "I have no idea. Maybe we should find out."

He stood, walked to Appa, rubbed his nose, and asked, "Hey boy, are you OK too?"

Appa harrumphed weakly, but had escaped unharmed. Aang unstrapped his glider from the saddle. Miraculously, it and most of their luggage packed for the vacation was still secure.

He popped his glider open and prepared to reconnoiter the area.

Katara interrupted, "Not so fast, buster. You aren't going _anywhere_ without _me_."

He grinned and asked, "You're up to it already?'

"You _know _how much I love flying with you. You aren't going leave me alone in this strange place."

They grabbed onto each other's waists and the glider and prepared to fly. As always, she kissed him softly on the lips for luck, but this time a little deeper.

"Hmm, you want to fly or make out?" He quipped.

"Both. But let's fly now. Time for the fun part later," she teased back.

That familiar shot of electricity in welled up in Aang that Katara's flirtations always created, but he fought it back. For now.

"Back shortly, Appa."

They launched skyward and got a great view.

"This isn't the Earth Kingdom coast, is it Aang?"

High above the shoreline, they could see the coastline run in a jagged circle that clearly showed there were on an island. A dormant volcano's caldera was centered in the island, rising thousands of feet above the lush jungle canopy. Lakes and streams dotted the landscape amidst the forestation. It was idyllic.

"No, Katara, it seems we've washed ashore on an island. There are no known islands off the east coast of the Earth Kingdom until you reach the western shore of the Fire Nation. I think we are _really _lost."

"It sure is beautiful though, Aang."

She squeezed him tighter, "I always wanted a tropical vacation. Maybe we just got it."

They returned to the coast, and alighted. Appa had managed to find a clump of wild sugar cane to munch on.

"Yeah, boy, we're hungry too," chuckled Aang.

So Aang and Katara began looking for something edible. Quickly they found dates and coconut palms.

As Katara bit into the succulent fruit she commented, "There is definitely an advantage of being a vegetarian, Aang. Sokka would have been driving us crazy trying to hunt, or catch, or snare something edible to him!"

He ruffled her hair, and gave his young wife a satisfied look, kissed her, and was proud that she was working so hard to adopt his ways.

She observed, "Y'know Aang, being stranded here isn't so bad. Why don't we stay for awhile?

Aang had to admit, being lost on a deserted island with the love of his life was not so bad after all. That helped him rationalize staying.

"OK. We're too exhausted to even think about going back to the Earth Kingdom right now. I'll bet that Kuei's staff at the palace are too busy recovering from the storm to miss us yet. If we gotta be here awhile, let's be more comfortable."

Together, they built a bamboo and palm frond hut on the beach as a temporary dwelling. They took some of their belongings to the hut, including the spare bed roll, and spent the night. They were enchanted by the beautiful starry skies and churn of the surf, and slept soundly curled up together in the cozy bed roll.

...

The beauty of the beach greeted them as they stretched and kissed each other awake in the morning.

Katara cooed, "Isn't this beautiful Aang? Let's go for a swim!"

"Our suits are still packed, Katara."

"Silly, who needs a suit?"

Shedding her garments, and tugging on Aang to do the same, they raced hand in hand to the crashing waves, splashing and water bending at each other.

Aang stopped for a moment to admire his wife's dark-skinned beauty as she ran along the shoreline, and thought, _"Now this is a vacation."_

Katara was quick to fashion an ice surf board, and as always, beautifully surfed the waves. He soon joined her and together they dodged and weaved and angled their ice boards around each other and the towering waves.

It seemed like they played together forever as the sun rose high in the island's sky, but they ultimately tired of the surfing, and sat close together on the shore with the tide, "Wow, that was _great_, Katara. But now I am so hungry, aren't you?

She got a look of desire in her eyes, and spoke in a sultry voice, "Yes, Aang, I'm hungry too."

She leaned in to take a deep kiss. It took Aang a moment to know what she really meant, but suddenly, Aang pulled away, yelling in pain and clutching his crotch.

"OW! Oh, Spirits that hurts! Owwww!" he howled.

Katara tried to calm him down, "What's wrong, Aang? Let me see."

Aang carefully removed his hands.

Apprehensive at first, she instantly saw that fair-skinned Aang was sunburned from head to toe in the intense tropical sun. _Everywhere._Especially in the place not normally exposed to sunshine. He was beet red there. She doubled over in laughter.

Between the laughing, she blurted out, "Aang, You're sunburned on your..."

"I KNOW THAT!" Aang interrupted angrily.

Her laughing got more intense.

He further complained, "Katara, it's _not_ funny! It hurts _badly!_ This is going to _ruin _our vacation."

Katara tried to stop laughing, and she tried to be more supportive as she held out her hands, "Don't panic yet. Come here, tough guy, let's see what I can do about that. Lie down."

She kneeled beside him on the sand, and surveyed the extent of his sunburn. Not wanting to use sea water which would sting Aang's raw skin mercilessly, she pulled water out of the humid sea air and began to heal his sunburn, starting with his bald head first. It turned to a nice tan - the first time he'd been tan in his life. She worked her way down slowly.

"Ahh. I'm feeling better Katara. Thank you."

She turned the other direction and healed his legs and feet. Then she got to his most sunburned private parts, and worked on them a little more aggressively than she needed to. On purpose.

"Careful Katara. If you spend much more time there, I may make you forget you're supposed to be healing me..."

With a mischievous grin, she stated, "_Precisely _what I want."

Pleased with her healing and the physical responses from Aang she wanted, she shifted positions from beside Aang to astride him, and purred, "How does _that _feel, Aang?"

With a look of complete satisfaction he said, "Umm. _Amazingly_ good, Katara. Thank you so much. I had no idea you had learned to heal _that_way."

"Private treatments for my _favorite _patient..."

She bent down to cradle his head and kiss him. The two loved on the beach – the sunburn forgotten - with the soothing small waves washing over and around them as they held each other close.

Afterward they held hands as they slowly made their way back to the homemade hut, "Let's get dressed and explore this place!"

They left the white sand beach behind, and as they went deeper into the island's jungle, cutting and eating some bananas, seed pods, and nuts as they went. They came upon a beautiful lake, surrounded by the forestation.

They stopped and held each other, "Aang this is beautiful."

She stooped down to bend some water to drink from edge of the lake. Suddenly Aang grabbed her by her collar and pulled back from the edge. As he pulled her back, the water in front of where she had been erupted in froth as a huge snake poked its head high above them and lunged for the very spot that Aang had pulled Katara from. The two ran further back from the lake edge, and as they did, the giant snake lumbered on to the land. But it wasn't just a snake. That huge head and long neck were attached to a crocodile's body, nearly 20 feet long. It moved fast but Aang had been faster, fortunately for his wife.

"Aang! You _saved _me!" and hugged him tight.

Aang explained, "I felt its vibrations coming up from the depths as it crawled on the bottom. If it had been swimming I would have never sensed it. You could have been..."

She interrupted, "But I wasn't - thanks to _you_, big guy. I do need to be more careful. Even this beautiful island has many hidden dangers."

At that very moment, they found a clearing and were greeted by a myriad of bright colors. Covering every inch of the open space were some kind of red/orange flowers much like a Fire Lily. But these lilies were moving. They were alive with small birds moving to and fro sipping the nectar. But they were not just any bird – they were a mix of tiny hummingbirds and butterflies, with iridescent wings of mostly yellows, blues and greens, but some had olives and tans.

Katara dropped to her knees and was nearly in tears with the spectacular sight, "Dear spirits, Aang, just _look_at them..."

"Try this Katara."

He picked a flower and put it in her hair over her ear. A butterfly-hummingbird quickly came and inserted its long beak into the flower.

It tickled her ear and she giggled. She held out her hand with another picked flower and two more alighted on her hands to sip up the released nectar.

"They are so cute, Aang," as she beamed at him.

As amazing as the field of lilies and butterfly-hummingbirds were, it was getting late, and they had to move on. They collected lots of delicious looking fruits and wild vegetables and placed them all in a backpack as they walked back to the beach. Along the way they saw tiny six-legged lizards with dragonfly wings, and songbird-squirrels crawling along the jungle floor and on the tree trunks. There may have been a lot of new animals to learn about, but all the tropical vegetation held no surprises for Aang's trained vegetarian eyes.

They passed another lake on the way back, "This lake is safe, Katara."

On its surface was a huge flock of ducks, or so it seemed. As the "ducks" reached the shoreline, they hopped out and started bounding about the forest. Katara and Aang's intrusion had startled them. Their heads and necks were ducks, but attached to a gray/brown furry body, with short upper arms that didn't touch the ground, and with huge, long, lower legs on which they hopped. Their feet were webbed to aid swimming. Kangaroo-ducks! They stood in awe.

Aang said, "The spirits have truly blessed this island."

She kissed him, "And only we get to see it."

Soon the familiar roll of the surf greeted their ears. It was almost sundown. They sat close together as the sun merged with the ocean surface. The reds and oranges of the sunset were inspiring. Then they saw it – a green flash! The rarest of all tropical sunset effects. As the sun dipped below the water, a sudden bright green sparkle appeared and disappeared just as quickly where the topmost part of the sun was. She squeezed his arm.

They had no trouble starting and maintaining a cooking fire, and had some delicious wild yams, some tubers that yielded a bread-like material, steamed wild carrots and onions, topped off by a coconut, banana, and tapioca pudding.

Satisfied with their meal, they sat silently watching the wind whip the flames, as a crescent moon illuminated the waves crashing on the beach in front of them.

Aang stood up, reached out his hand, and invited Katara, "Come with me."

They walked wordlessly arm in arm to the shore, sat down together to watch the waves, started kissing and hugging passionately, and soon were one with each other. Afterward, they left their clothes on the beach, walked and waded along the surf/sand line. Katara looked up at the moon, and said, "No peeking, Yue."

They both giggled at that. She stopped and turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt the soft skin of her breasts rub against his chest, "Oh Aang, this is so wonderful. I love you," and proceeded to kiss him tenderly.

They broke the kiss but she lingered only a hair's breadth away from him.

"Love you too, Katara. This is _so much _better than Kuei's palace." He mused.

They heard a branch snap in the trees behind them, and Katara startled. "Night bird..." he explained.

They picked up their clothing, and returned to the fire, but just wrapped themselves in a blanket. When the embers were low, they dressed and snuggled together in their bed roll, and exchanged good night kisses.

It had been a beautiful day together.


	4. Chapter 4 - Abducted

_"I can't move,"_he thought, awakening abruptly in the dim light of dawn with arms and legs being bound and a gag jammed into his mouth. He looked through the haziness of sleep to see six men binding him. He looked to see Katara's panicked face as she was being bound similarly. She was screaming but the gag kept but a few noises from escaping her. That "night bird" was obviously their abductors moving in the forest getting ready to capture them. He couldn't even call out to Appa. They moved that stealthily.

_"How did I miss them? How had we not seen them?"_ he thought. Then it was obvious. The sand. The _sand _muffled the vibration of their movements. He had still only barely learned sand bending from Toph, who was herself still learning.

They were both dragged roughly deep into the jungle by the men, far past any landmark they had explored. They were lost again.

Soon they were standing in village hidden beneath the jungle canopy that they had not seen from above. It looked like the entire village was assembled to meet their abductors with their two human prizes. Their gags were removed, and they immediately spoke to each other.

"Are you alright, Katara?"

"Yes Aang, just terribly frightened."

Then they finally noticed.

"Aang, the villagers. They are all...umm..."

"Yes they are."

Both blushed. All the villagers – men, women and children - were completely naked from head to toe, except for a thin, dark brown fiber rope around their waists. The only differences were that hanging on each person's rope was a knotted a dangle of varying lengths hanging from one side. The only adornment of the women that set them apart from the men was a similar necklace and flowers in their hair. Aang and Katara were a stark contrast to the natives in their modest standard clothing.

Even more stark was the fact that all the natives had deeper skin tones than anyone in the known world. Katara and her kinsmen were mocha-colored, but these people had very dark brown skin with black hair. And blue eyes.

An older man with animal bones in his ears and nose and lips stood before them with a big spear. He was visibly shorter than them. He spoke in an unknown language, but was animated and angry. It was clear that the presence of Aang and Katara had upset them all. They were prodded forward, and soon it was clear they were being led to a cliff, following a stream along the path. The cliffside dropped for thousands of feet into a deep chasm. The stream itself fell as a waterfall into the chasm. The bottom of the canyon smoldered of volcanism.

"Aang what's going to happen to us?"

"I think we are being sacrificed. We upset some kind of natural balance."

The old chieftain suddenly made a move Katara recognized. The water in the stream obeyed his motion and he wrapped water whips around Katara and Aang, to pull them closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Aang! They are water benders!"

"Yeah. 'Cousins' like the swamp benders. Only a lot meaner!"

"Do something Aang. _Bend _something."

Then she thought deeper, "No! Bend _everything _Aang! Show them who you are!"

"I seriously doubt..."

"Just _do _it, Aang!"

He needed leverage or more power. He strained at the vine bindings and they weren't budging.

So he breathed deeply, and closed his eyes.

He opened them suddenly, and they flashed as the Fully Realized Avatar. Summoning incredible inner strength, he sundered his restraints, spread his arms wide, and tilted his head into the sky. He shot forth three fire bending streams from his hands and mouth, raised himself on an earthen column, tearing away from the water bending bonds, drew water from the stream and froze the chieftain and all of their captors to trees or the ground, and created a wind storm of air that forced everyone to kneel and try to protect themselves.

The chieftain croaked, "Ah-vuh-tah!"

Katara said, "Well at least _that_ is the same in _any_language!"

The villagers fell prostrate, and began to worship Aang.

"This is better. Much better," said Katara with some restored confidence.

Aang looked sternly at the chieftain lifting his head and locked eyes, "Yes, Chief. Avatar Aang!"

The old man cowered in fear. Aang pointed to the village, "Take us back."

While he understood the motion and not the words, Katara was untied and the two were led back to the village as powerful spirits. Chants of honor and clacking of weapons were heard.

They were both seated with the Chief, and the food being prepared and roasted – originally planned to celebrate their sacrifice – was cooked and offered to them. Aang only took the veggies, but Katara took some of the fish.

"Aang?" She questioned as she took a helping of the fish.

"You're a water bender before you ever met me. Have what you want."

Pleasantly surprised by that, she dug into the fish. It was delicious.

The chieftain then ordered what as clearly entertainment for their Avatar. Drums and dancers twirled before them. One instrument was particularly interesting – a very long wind instrument producing wonderful low tones. The Chief called it a dijeridoo.

At a particularly rhythmic song, Aang got up, grinned, and outstretched his arm to Katara with a very familiar phrase, "Take my hand!"

She asked, "We should do _that _for them?"

"Can you think of a _better _way to make friends than doing our best dance?"

Katara nodded positively. The villagers were captivated by their signature Kataango dance. They all danced well into the night. Aang and Katara were exhausted as they returned to their seats of honor. Language barrier or not, they could tell the Chief was very happy.

He cut off the merriment with a strong motion, and talked incomprehensibly to what appeared to be his second in command, who ran off into the village. Soon he reappeared, and took a package from him. Something wrapped in a big leaf. The Chief stood before Aang and Katara and bowed deeply.

He presented them with the leaf pointed first to Aang, then Katara, and said, "Avatar Aang. Ngal warlang. Lagiban jawh-ma wurrpbu."

Katara asked, "What's happening?"

Aang smiled and guessed, "I think he is making you and me citizens of this tribe. I actually think he said 'People of the Sea' in an ancient language.

"How can you _possibly_know that Aang?" questioned Katara.

He closed his eyes, cocked his head sideways, and concentrated harder. "Katara...wait..._Kuruk_ learned that language. He _discovered_ these people. Made friends with them. Katara, we're among your _ancestors_. _All _of the modern Water Tribes come from these people."

They bowed back and unwrapped the present. Inside were two thin fiber rope waist bands, clearly one for each of them – hers a little longer for her hips.

Katara held up the tiny strand that would cover nothing, giving it a look of utter dismay. Aang turned to his true love and gave her a sheepish grin and stuttered, "K-Katara, I love you."

Katara gave Aang a really stern look, "You darn well _better_after this!"

The Chief escorted them to a palm thatch hut to change.

"Dorroh-ma!" He said.

Standing in their altogether in the hut prior to exiting, helping tie the tribal ropes around each other's waists, they were sort of excited and embarrassed at the same time, blushing at each other.

"Are you ready for this, Katara?"

"No but we don't _really _have a choice, do we?" she lamented.

"You are so beautiful, Katara," as he held her by her bare shoulders.

"Thank you Aang. You are my handsome guy, no matter what you _don't _wear," she smirked.

They took a deep breath, held hands, and emerged from the hut. They were immediately cheered by the village tribespeople as they both stood before them all in their natural splendor. Katara whispered to her husband, "You have _no _idea how much this is gonna cost you when we get home..."

"I can only imagine," but silently was grateful to the Chief that he got to see his beautiful wife's body constantly now.

Unexpectedly, the village men all looked at Katara and chanted, "Maminukbun jilimakgun. Buluman ngabbuny!"

Through Kuruk's knowledge of the language of the People of the Sea, Aang vaguely understood they approved of his choice of mate. Katara was a great deal more endowed than the village women.

"They like how you look, Katara," he explained. She blushed, but was inwardly pleased.

Meanwhile the women chanted, "Avatar Aang no-ngolong. Buluman lagriny. Yarrwi."

They praised Katara for her choice of the Avatar as her husband, who was much better equipped than any of the village's men. They pointed for emphasis.

"Well _that _doesn't take any translation, Aang. I guess there are some big advantages of being the wife of the Avatar I never knew possible," Katara snickered, and elbowed him. Aang just rolled his eyes.

The Chief said a lot of words, blessed them, and declared them citizens.

They smiled at each other, but had already recovered from the shock of being exposed in front of the entire village, and they joined in the continued fun of the night. The villagers were very comfortable with their lack of dress, and it made it easier for the two to adapt. At the end of the party deep into the night, they were escorted to a hut dedicated to them, "Well we may not be alone, but nice to be treated with the respect as spirits!"


	5. Chapter 5 - Making New Friends

The next morning after awakening, there was a huge commotion outside, and they rushed from their hut. Some of the men carried another, who was severely injured. His right leg was crushed and bleeding. It was clear to them that it was going to have to be amputated to survive. The village shaman reached for his knife and a tourniquet, but Katara stayed his hand. She uncapped her water flask she had tied to her rope belt, and drew a boule of water into her hands.

The villagers then realized she was a water bender too, but were not prepared for what they saw next. Katara applied the water to the man's crushed leg, and concentrated. The familiar healing glow started. Everyone stepped back and remained silent. She worked hard for about thirty minutes, but the leg was completely restored. The injured native relaxed, free of his pain, and gingerly tried the restored limb. He bowed deeply to Katara and the villager's wife hugged Katara in gratitude.

Whatever remaining uncertainty there might have been between the People of the Sea and Katara and Aang was instantly gone. Word of the healing abilities of the wife of the Avatar spread quickly. This was apparently a skill the women of the People of the Sea did not have.

Over the next few days, they made many more friends, tried many new foods and customs, and got to understand some simple words. The two felt comfortable enough in this community to love each at night, not really caring if the villagers heard their lovemaking or not. Hearing the other villagers doing the same thing, it made them all closer.

They grew very comfortable in their own skins, and of the villagers. It got so they didn't even notice that they were unclad.

One afternoon, a huge shadow was cast over the village.

"Appa!"

Appa nuzzled Aang. He was rested wanted to go home. The villagers were amazed, dared to pet Appa themselves, and smiled.

The Chief knew what was going to happen. He made a broad sweeping motion to encompass his people, outstretched his arm toward the horizon, and put a finger to his lips. Aang understood that the Chief didn't want anyone to know of this people when they went home. Aang bowed and nodded graciously. The Chief gave him a sign of peace – just like the Air Nomads.

Katara raised an eyebrow said, "We have more in common with them than we think."

The People of the Sea gathered to send their Avatar and his bride off across the ocean. They gave them simple but heartfelt gifts. Aang gripped the Chief's upper arm in a sign of Water Tribe friendship, then bowed. Aang and Katara waved as they departed from the natives. They entered their hut on the beach to pack their gear on Appa and head west.

Then they stopped and looked at each other and laughed. They were _still_ naked, and didn't even _notice_ that they were.

"Funny - we _did_ get used to it," they both giggled together.

They quickly donned their normal clothing, but left their rope belts on underneath to honor the tribe. Packed and ready to go, Aang encouraged Appa, "Get us home, boy. But remember the way. We want to come back."


	6. Chapter 6 - Home Again

_Before we get started on the conclusion of this little adventure I just want to say "thank you so much!" for the reception this little Kataang romp has received with so many reviews and views. I am frankly humbled greatly._

**Chapter 6 - Home Again**

It was a very long flight – they were nearly two days into the flight before they saw the Earth Kingdom on the horizon. Fortunately the skies and seas were calm, so whenever they and Appa needed to sleep they could just rest on the waters.

They discovered that they were a few hundred miles south of Kuei's Summer Palace and quickly headed north. When they arrived, there was great relief. Kuei himself was there, and he embraced them both.

"I was so worried. When word reached me that you didn't arrive, my staff panicked that you had been injured or lost in the storm. I led the rescue myself.

We searched everywhere a few days, but had to give up. My dear friends, I am so relieved, for all of us. What actually happened?"

They looked at each other, and Katara said with a smirk, "Aang is _so_ much better at me about explaining things, _aren't _you?"

"Of _course_, Katara," and shot her an annoyed look. He would have to think fast to protect the People of the Sea.

"Well, Kuei, we got blown out to sea by the big storm, but managed to find an abandoned boat that we stayed on until we got close to land. Appa just floated along with us or flew overhead looking for land. The boat was much more damaged than we thought and it eventually sunk, so we flew the final few miles here. And so here we are! Safe and sound!" Aang explained confidently. Katara rolled her eyes and bit her lip.

Kuei took in every word, but then observed, "Well. That doesn't seem so bad. You guys look like you weathered the storm pretty well."

"Well are you both ready to have a nice, cushy, pampered time here at the palace? You've been lost over a week."

Aang and Katara smiled and hugged, as they said together, "You bet."

"Well then, get freshened up by my servants, get a clean set of comfortable clothes, and come have dinner with Hanqiao and me. Then you can have some private time in a nice comfortable guest room."

"That will be very nice, Kuei. We'll be ready."

While getting ready for the evening, Katara mused, "Aang the Avatar. You are a _terrific_ liar! _Where _did you learn that skill? And should I be worried you'd ever lie to _me?"_ as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Katara, I wasn't lying. I was _improving _the story. Just like I did at the Great Divide."

"Hmm. I remember that. Whatever you say, Aang," she kissed him on the nose and they continued to get ready.

It was a great night with Kuei, Hanqiao, and the courtesans and staff. At the end of the evening, satisfied with a wonderful meal, great conversation, musicians, and savory tea, Aang and Katara turned in for the night. They knew they needed the comfort of each other's love, so they undressed each other quickly.

Soon all that was left were the thin fiber rope belts they still wore from the People of the Sea. Aang started to take Katara's off, but she stopped him and smiled, "No Aang, please leave it. I want to remember. Besides, I feel _naked _without it."

They laughed. He caressed her face, and she leaned into that familiar touch, closed her eyes and smiled.

Love between them was rarely as tender as it was that night – a fitting end of their unexpected week of adventure with the lost race of original water benders – the People of the Sea.


End file.
